Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce

    Pekin Municipal Airport Continues Revitalization   With continued growth and direct economic impact to the Pekin community, the Pekin Municipal Airport has become a focal point of revitalization efforts.   Pekin, IL- The City of Pekin is focusing on revitalization efforts as hangar tenancy and traffic continue to grow at Pekin Municipal Airport.   The airport recently underwent a renovation of the 24-hour lounge area: a first impression of Central Illinois to many visitors. Until Spring of 2022, the lounge was still outfitted with the original interior furnishing from the 1960s. The space was redesigned to offer an additional seating area with charging ports for smart devices, as well as a modern kitchenette. Fresh paint and installation of new lighting have also been completed. The overall aesthetic promotes a welcoming environment for corporate and recreational flyers utilizing the small airport.   Pekin Municipal Airport has receive...

  Quarterly Business Breakfast Award Winners of June 2022 June may be our favorite Chamber Business Breakfast of the year at the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce. It is the breakfast in which we traditionally announce the Grand Marshal selection for the upcoming Pekin Marigold Festival held in September.  We were able to successfully surprise this year's recipient Jim Fairchild, or as many in our community may know him: "Mr. Fairchild". Under the guise of his employer Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory receiving an award at the breakfast, Pekin Marigold Festival Chairperson Brandon Burling told area business owners of the many ways in which Jim has touched the lives of young people in our community. Congratulations, Jim Fairchild!  The Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Business Breakfasts also recognize area businesses, organizations or individuals in the following categories:  ☀️ Sunshine Award: The Sunshine Award will recognize an individual, gr...

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:       Pekin Marigold Festival Announces Grand Marshal Jim Fairchild is announced as the 2022 Pekin Marigold Festival Grand Marshal   Pekin, IL, June 13, 2022-  The Pekin Marigold Festival is proud to announce Jim Fairchild as the 2022 Pekin Marigold Festival Grand Marshal. Jim Fairchild truly represents the best of our community. In-line with this year’s theme of “Back in Time: 50 Years of Marigold Memories”, Jim has been a beloved member of the Pekin community who has touched the lives of hundreds of young people here.   Jim and his wife Patty have been married for 47 years and have four children and eight grandchildren. Jim taught at Pekin Community High School for 41 years, first as a history teacher and then as a guidance counselor, retiring in 2010. He was also a Student Council advisor for 19 of those years and was a school bus driver for 39 of them. Additionally, Jim was a teacher for homebound students and a substitute ...

  Cedarhurst Living Resident to Board Greater Peoria Honor Flight Meet John "Jack" Hall, resident of Cedarhurst Living on South 14 th Street in Pekin. Jack is veteran of the 298 th Army Band and the Fifth Army Band at Ft Sheridan. Recruited by the Armed Forces for his music ability, Jack had no idea how a childhood hobby would come to shape his life. Jack began learning piano in junior high school and somewhere along the way picked up the sousaphone (tuba) and string bass. Graduating Pekin Community High School in 1953, Jack didn’t desire a career in music. He would later obtain a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bradley University and enjoy a career with Caterpillar, Inc. But as fate would have it, music brought Jack his first world experiences.   The 298 th Army Band arrived in Berlin in July 1945 to build German American relations post WWII, with Jack joining the 56-musician band a few years later. Also known as part of the Berlin Brigade, the ba...

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 31, 2022   CONTACT:   Paul Wappel  217.685.0082   Kim Hoskins 309.370.1743     Townline Road over I-155 to close June 6     TREMONT  – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that Townline Road over Interstate 155 south of Tremont will close June 6.     The closure is necessary to replace bridge joints and the median and is expected to last until August. A detour will be posted.     Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. To avoid the work area, when feasible, use of alternate routes should be considered. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment.     Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve more than 3,500 miles...